A digital rights management (DRM) system is a facility associated with managing the digital rights of a digital asset. The digital asset is often transmitted to a client device via a communications network. At the client device, the asset may be presented to a user directly upon receipt or stored at the client device for later utilization(s).
Regarding the various types of assets which are commonly downloaded or otherwise transferred to and stored at client devices, such as recorded video or audio files, movies, television broadcasts or other content having associated rights managed by a DRM system, the client devices are commonly required to first obtain an approval from the DRM system before utilizing a corresponding asset stored at the client device. This prior to usage approval from the DRM system provides the client device with an authorization to utilize or access the stored asset at the client device. This type of restriction often requires a client device to be in active communication (i.e., “online”) with the DRM system in order to obtain, or to confirm whether the client device has obtained, a required approval. This is often an inconvenience to the user if the client device is ever offline. And it commonly causes a denial of access to the stored asset at the client device until it is again online and in communication with the DRM system.
Some DRM systems permit an offline client device to utilize a stored digital asset without requiring the device to first obtain approval from the DRM system regarding the stored asset's usage. However, although this often alleviates delays or inconveniences to a user utilizing the stored asset, it presents a breakdown in control over managing the rights associated with the asset by the DRM system. This is because the DRM system, had it been in direct communication with the client device, often would have denied or only granted a limited approval to the client device for usage of the stored asset.
Commonly, a user has control of multiple client devices forming a user group. The user group often includes a plurality of devices having a separate copy of the same stored asset. When any of the devices, in the group and/or the plurality within the group having a stored copy of the asset, are offline they are not in communication with the DRM system which is to manage the asset. In this circumstance, the DRM system is limited in determining whether the rights associated with the asset are being managed properly among the devices in the user group.
As noted above, some DRM systems permit an offline client device to utilize a stored copy of an asset, presenting a potential breakdown in control over managing the rights of the asset by the DRM system. This breakdown in control is often compounded when a plurality of client devices in a user group has a stored copy of the asset. This is due to the fact that more than one device in the plurality may have utilized the same asset one or more times, and/or at different times, during an offline period associated with one or more device in the group.
Often, a user of a first client device has already obtained an approval to utilize a same asset at a second device in a group of devices controlled by the user. Commonly, the first client device is still restricted from utilizing its own stored copy of a digital asset. If the user must first obtain direct authorization or access approval for the first client device, this is an inconvenience to the user and commonly results in a denial of access/approval to the user at the first client device. In the alternative, the DRM system may permit the offline client device to utilize a stored digital asset without requiring the client device to first obtain a prior approval. Thus presenting a breakdown in control of managing the rights associated with the asset by the DRM system.
Accordingly, client devices in an offline mode having a stored digital asset must be permitted to access or utilize the stored asset without any inconvenience or delay/denial of access to the user. These drawbacks are often associated with a requirement that client devices first obtain approval to access or utilize the stored asset from the DRM system managing the rights of the asset. At the same time, any loss of control in managing the rights of the asset associated with permitting client devices to utilize stored assets while offline must be reduced or eliminated.